Regulator for dynamo-electric machines



(No Model.)

J. E. WATSON.

REGULATOR FOR DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES. No. 336,608. Patented Feb. 23,1886.

N. PETERS, Phalo-Lilhognphsr. Washingiun. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OHN EDWARD \VATSON, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

REGULATOR FOR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES.

ESPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,608, datedFebruary 23, 1886.

Application filed September 29, 1884. Serial No. 144,259. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. \VATSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRegulators for Dynamo Electric Machines; and I do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of an elevation of theregulator. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the dynamomachine,and Fig. 3 is a detail view sh owing the iron cores and the extendedpole-piece.

, This invention has relation to regulators for dynamo-electricmachines; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement ofdevices, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularlypointed out in the claims appended.

A A A designate three electro-magnets, the two outside ones being woundin the same direction,while the center one is wound in the oppositedirection, said magnets being formed of two or more courses of No. 14insulated copper wire perfectly insulated from the iron cores, and alsofrom the spool-heads, should the spool-heads be made of metal, as thecores of the electro-magnets are a portion of the shunt-circuit. Theseelectro-magnets are to be connected in branches of the main or lampcircuit, and are constructed in this peculiar manner in order to offerthe least resistance to the passage of the main current passing throughthem. This mode of winding'is used in order to have the two outsideelectro-magnets of a like polarity, leaving the center electro-magnet ofan opposite polarity, thus giving two bipolar eIectro-magnets.

B B designate a soft-iron yoke, into which are screwed or otherwisesecured the soft-iron cores of the three electro-magnets A A A. Thelower end of the central electro-magnet core is provided with a fiatelongated head or terminal, 0 To this elongated head are fastened thetwo current-reversing armatures. F

and F by two pieces of thin steel, in order to make them flexible.

F and F designate two soft-iron pole-changing or current-reversingarmatures having flexible ends, which are attached to the elongated head0 of the central electro-magnet. The opposite ends of the armatures Fand F are each provided with two platinum points, one on each side ofthe armature. Securely attached to but insulated from the two softironarmatures F and F are two metallic return strips or keys, F and F whichmust be made slightly elastic, having their extreme ends also providedwith two platinum points each--one on each side of the keys or strips.

G and G designate two insulating-blocks, of any suitable non-conductingmaterial, separating the two keys or strips F and F from the twosoft-iron armatures F and F.

H and H designate two metallic stops, each provided with two platinumpoints-one on each side of the stop. The two stops are securely fastenedto the braces or stands K and K. To the stop H is secured a wireconnection supplying the current to the fine wire wound on the outsideof the coarse wire of the field-magnets Nos. 1 and 3, and to the stop His secured a wire connection supplying the current to the fine wirewound on the outside of the coarse wire of the field-magnets Nos. 2 and4.

I and I designate two metallic brackets securely fastened to the bracesor stands K and K, but so fastened as to insulate the brackets I and I"from the two stops H and H. The ends of the two brackets I and I arebent inward, so as to face each side of the stops H and H, said bentends being provided with adjustable platinum points.

J, J, J, and J designate four metallic screws fitting tight in the endsof the brackets I and I, having their ends terminating in platinumpoints, to be capable of nice adjustment in the two brackets I and I. Tothe bracket I is secured a wire connection from the fine wire on theoutside of the field-magnet No. 3, and to the bracket I is secured awire connection from the fine wire on the outside of the field-magnetNo. 4..

K and K designate two braces 01' stands, made of any suitablenonconducting material, suitably secured to the case L. To the twobraces or stands K and K are secured the two stops H and H andthetwobrackets I and I, but so attached as to insulate the stop H from theIbracket I and the stop H from the bracket L designates any suitable formof case or frame for receiving the regulating mechanism, and composed ofany suitable material.

M designates a metallic strip or plate secured to the cross-piece L ofthe case or frame L, against which operate the thumb-nuts N and N. Tothe strip M is secured a wire connection, M, connecting the strip M tothe negative or return wire E of the main or lamp circuit.

S and S designate two spiral springs at tached to the two metallicstrips 'or keys F?- and F, with their free ends terminating in twosquare or triangular screw ends, which pass through the strip or plateM, and are provided with two metallic nuts each, N and .N, and areintended to secure the proper tension to the armatures F and F, and alsoto serve as a pathway for the return-current from the fine wire wound onthe outside of the fie1dmagnets of the dynamo-electric machine.

L, L, L, and L represent any suitable form of opening in the case orframe L, to admit a screw-driver or other tool suitable to adjust thescrew platinum points J, J, J, and J d d d and d d d represent the wireconnections proceeding to and from the low-resistance magnets A A A, andshow the manner of connecting the magnets in the main or lamp circuit.

i m designates a wire connection, being the termination of the derivedcircuit from the positive wire of the main or lamp circuit D, commencingat the point T and connecting directly to the yoke B, making the core ofthe electro-magnet A a part of the derived or shunt circuit to supplythe current to the fine wire wound on the outside of the field-magnetsof the dynamo-electric machine. The changes necessary to be made in thedynamo-electric machine, making it a part of the regulator, are asfollows:

U designates the frame or stand of the dynamo. v

U designates the journal boxes or hearings in which fits thearmature-shaft R.

X X X X designate the iron cores, on which are wound the fine and coarsewire forming the field-magnets. L I

X X X X designate the extended polepieces secured to the cores of thedynamo, and between which rotates the armature Q.

W W W W designate the space around the iron cores of the field-magnets,in which is wound the coarse wire.

Y Y Y Y? designate the space on the outside and around the coarse wirein which is wound the fine wire, said fine wire to be wound in the samedirection as the coarse wire.

Z Z Z Z Z designate the bobbins wound on the revolving armature.

thecoarse wire winding a greater number of V designates the commutator.

V V designate the metallic brushes for taking up the current induced inthe armature.

P P P P designate the spool-heads on the field-magnets, between whichare confined the coarse and fine wire forming the said fieldmagnets.

I make no further claims to any improvement in the dynamo-electricmachine more than the mode of constructing the field-magnetsviz.,winding them first with coarse wire next the iron cores, then on theoutside of turns-of fine wire. The coarse wire on the field magnets isall connected together in series, and connecting through the line,brush, and armature back to the coarse wire of the fieldginagnet cores,making the coarse wire of the field-coils a part'ot' the main or lampcircuit. The fine wire, however, is connected from the'mainline in aderived circuit, and each diagonally-opposite pair of coilsare connectedtogether back through the current-reversing mechanism to the negativewire of the main line or lamp circuit. The mode of operation of thisourrentregulating device is asrfollowsviz: At the commencement ofrotation of the armature of the dynamo-electric machine, which rotatesbetween the pole-pieces of the field-magnets, there will be sutficient'residual magnetism to induce an electric current in the revolvingarmature,which beinggathered by the brushes sent out on the line,through the lamps, back around the field-magnet through the coarse wire,increasing the magnetism of the field, which causes a further inductionof current in the revolving armature and line until suf-' ficientcurrent has been induced to partially form arcs at the junction of thecarbons in the lamps, which action places an increased resistance in themain circuit, which resistance causes a certain amount of the current inthe main circuit, commencing at the point T on the positive wire of themain circuit, to be shunted through the wire m to the yoke -B of theelectro-magnets A A A, core oil central magnet, 0 armatures F and F ofthe poleohanging mechanism, stops H and H, wire connections a and b, tothe fine wire wound on the outside of the field-magnets Nos. 1 and 3 bythe wire a, and the field-magnets Nos. 2' and 4 by the fine wire b,these field-magnets being diagonally opposite to each other andconnected together. Thus Nos. 1 and 3 are connected together by theirterminating inside wire, and fine-wire coils on Nos. ,2 and 4 areconnected together by their terminating inside wires, thus making thefine-wire magnet-coils wound on the outside of the coarse.

ICC

wire of the field-magnets Nos. 1 and 3 of an opposite'polarity,'and alsothe fine coils on the outside of the coarsewire of the fieldmagnets Nos.2 and 4 of an opposite p0" larity; but bear in mind that the fine wireforming the high-resistance coils on the out side of the coarse wireforming the field-mag net coils of the dynamo-electric machine is woundin exactly the same direction as the coarse wire. Now, by the wireconnections a and Z1 from the outside ends of the fine-wire coils on thefield-magnets to the brackets I and 1, lower adjustable point ofplatinato the platina points on the strips or keys F and F, spiral springs Sand S, square or triangular screws 0 and 0, nuts N and N, plate 1 wireconnection M, to the negative or return wire E of the dynamo-electricmachine. Now, so long as the spiral springs tension is sufficientlygreat to keep the armatures F and F and the keys F and F in contact withtheir lower points, as shown in the drawings, then the shunted currentwill flow through the coils on the outside of the coarse wire of thefieldmagnets in the same direction as the main current flows through thecoarse wire of the same field-magnets, thereby increasing theirmagnetism greatly, or until sufficient current has been induced in therevolving armature to light up to or near to the normal are all thelamps in circuit. After having all the lamps in circuit lighted is thetime to adjust the tension of the spiral springs S and 3 and they are tobe so adjusted that one of the pole-changing or current-reversingarmatures F and F will be attracted by the electromagnets A AAin advanceof the other-that is, the tension on the spiral spring of one shall besomewhat greater than the other, in order that it will require theelectromagnets A AAto be more strongly magnetized to attract the secondpole changing or reversing armature. Now, we will suppose one or morelamps on the main circuit to be switched or automatically cut out ofcircuit. 'W'e will then have more current than needed to maintain theremaining lamps; hence the arcs of the lamps then in circuit would tendto become longer, increasing the resistance, and at the same timeshunting more current, which causes the increase of current sufficientto increase the magnetism of the electro-magnets A A A, attracting theweaker pole-changing or current-reversing armature-for instance, sayF-opening thecircnit, supplying the shunt-current to the outside finewire of one pair of field-magnets-say Nos. 1 and 3 -these magnets beingdiagonally opposite to each other and of opposite polarity, when thethus attracted armature will either remain open or commence vibratingjust sufficiently to neutralize the fields to the extent of the one ormore lamps cut out of circuit by weakening the field-magnetism bydepriving one pair of field-magnets of the assistance of the shuntcurrent on the outside of said field-magnets. Now, should additionallamps be cut out of circuit, this are will cause the secondcurrent-reversing armature to be attracted by the increase of magnetismin the electro-magnets A A A, thus opening the circuit to the fine wirearound the other pair diagonally opposite the field magnets-say Nos. 2and 4leaving the coarse wire of the fieldunagnets to perform the work ofmaintaining the lamps in circuit unaided by the shunt circuit or currentflowing through the fine wire on the outside of the field-magnets. Astill further removal of lamps or lights from the circuit will cause afurther attraction of the weaker armaturesay F- which has already closedthe upper platina point on the key F against the lower platina point ofthe stop H, (the adjustment of the upper adjustable platina points ofthe brackets I and I being such as to close the points on the keys F andF with the lower platina points of the stops H and H first, thusrequiring an increase of magnetism or attraction in the electro-mugnetsA A A to spring the keys F and F which are elastic, to close the upperplatina points on the upper side of the armatureFand F againstthe upperadj ustable points of the brackets I and l,) to form a connection withthe upper point ofarmature F, with the upper adjustable platina point inthe bracket I, thus sending the derived or shunt circuit through thefine wire on the outside of the coarse wire, forming thefield-magnetssay Nos.1 and 3-01" one pair of diagonallyopposite cores ina direction opposite to that fiowing through the coarse wire of the samefield-magnets, which neutralizes the magnet-. ism of that pair ofdiagonallyopposite cores to the extent of the resistance in the mainline, inducing a correspondingly less amount of current in the armatureof the dynamoelectric machine, requiring less work on the part of theengine and saving of fuel under the boiler. A continued reduction oflamps in circuit brings into action the second current-reversingmechanism, reversing the direction of the current flowing through theother diagonally-opposite pair of field-magnets in the fine wire woundon the outside of them, thus neutralizing the magnetism.

It is plain to be seen that the combined neutralizing effects of allfour of the finewire coils will leave a field of force capable ofinducing but a small amount of current in the armature of thedynamo-electric machine. Now, to suddenly switch into circuit any numberof lamps momentarily causes a decrease of current in the line, hence aloss of magnetic attraction in the magnets A A A, causing them to allowthe spiral springs S and S, by their tension, to draw down the armaturesand keys to close their points of platina in contact with the upperpoints of the stops H and H and the lower adjustable platina points ofthe brackets I and I, changing the direction of the current in the finewire on the outside of the field-magnets to the same direction as themain current flowing in the coarse wire forming the fields, assistingthe coarse wire in strengthening the magnetism, causing an increase ofinduction in the rotating armature of the machine until all the lightsin the circuit are again lighted to or near to their normal arc, thederived or shunt circuit on the outside of the fields and the coarsewire on the inside of the same fields 4' eau'soa both operatingmutually, of course any intermediate action to be governed by bringingeither one of the reversing armatures into operation.

It is plain to be seen that there can possibly be no permanentpolarization of the iron cores of the field-magnets, as a slowing of theengine will cause the armatures of the reversing mechanism to send aderived current through the fine-wire coils in the outside in the samedirection as the coarse. wire, acting mutually with each other inmagnetizing the field-magnet cores.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent is- 1. An automaticcurrent-regulator fordyna- Inc-electricmachines, composed of any suitable form of current-breaking, vibrating.and ourrent-reversing mechanism connected in a derived circuit or shuntfrom the main line or lamp circuit, operated by one or morelowresistance electro-magnets connected in the main line or lampcircuit, having the derived or shunt circuit through thecurrent-breaking, vibrating, and current-reversing mechanism soconnected as to pass through a set of finewire coils wound on theoutside of the coarse wire forming the field-magnet coils of any form ofdynamo-electric machine, the fine wire on the outside of thefield-magnets being wound in the same direction as the coarse wire andconnected together in diagonally opposite pairs to produce magnets ofunlike polarity, but ofthe same polarity as is produced by the coarsewire, for the purpose of automatically regulating the current induced inthe armature of such dynamo-electric machine and supplied to thelamp-circuit, as specified and set forth.

2. The field magnet coils of a dynamo-electric machine made of a numberof tn rns of coarse insulated copper wire connected in series, so as ontheir outside and in the'same direction a greater number of turns offine wire connected.

together in diagonally-opposite pairs and supplied from a derived orshunt circuit from themain line or lamp circuit through any suitableform of current'breaking, vibrating, and ourrent-reversing mechanismoperated by one or more lowresistance electromagnets connected in themain line or lamp circuit, for the purpose of automatically regulatingthe current induced in the armature of the dynamo-electric machine andsupplied to the lamp'circuit, as specified and set forth.

3. A dynamo-electric machine having its field-magnet coils formed of anumber of turns of coarse insulated copper wire connected in series andin the main line or lamp circuit, so as to make the coarse wire a partof the main line or lamp circuit, with a greater number of turns offinewire wound in the same direction on the outside of the coarse wire, andso connected together as to make the iron cores of the field-magnets thesame polarity as the coarse wire, but connected together indiagonally-opposite pairs and supplied from a derivedor shunt circuitfrom the main line or lamp circuit, in combination with any suitableform of current-breaking, vibrating, and ourrent-reversing mechanismcomposed of one or more low-resistance electro-magnets connected in themain line or lamp circuit operating such mechanism.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN EDWARD \VATSON.

Witnesses:

Geo. S. ALLISON, G. T. CoLLmGs.

